April 2023

From the President...

I recently read Photography, The Definitive Visual History by Thomas Ang. The history of photography is fascinating. The years 1825-1849 were considered The Dawn of Photography. As the middle class grew in numbers it fueled a boom in portraitures. An oil painting was expensive, while other quicker options lacked distinction. Photography came to the rescue.

The beginnings were shaky. Prolonged exposure time led to fuzzy pictures. as no one could hold still enough for five or ten minutes. Imagine a pose, much less a smile for that long. The smile was not yet part of a portrait because it turned into a grimace. Can you imagine trying to take a group photo and hoping everyone would stay still for ten minutes? I guess group photos were not in vogue at the time. Consider trying to photograph a baby. It's not easy to keep them still. Some early methods included etherizing the infant to subdue its movements.

Along came the Petzval lens. Josef Petzval, a Hungarian, designed a lens that was of unprecedented complication. He took two sets of achromat pairs (negative and positive in groups), one formed into a cemented pair. His Portrait lens of 1840 offered a view of about 25-30 degrees, equivalent to 80-105mm, with maximum aperture of f/3.6 – f/3.7. This reduced exposure times at a stroke from up to twenty minutes to just one minute.

As we start to wind down the busiest months for the Photography Club, we did not stand still either. We kept forging ahead, making improvements in our club design and in the variety of Field Trips, Special Interest Groups, and presentation events.

We tend to take new processes in stride, giving no thought to how we got to where we are, with cameras on almost any device we use. The digital camera, phones, tablets, and drones. From the early times of photography to today, there have been many unsung photography heroes who took the time and innovation to allow us to enjoy our photography journey.

Similarly, we as members of the Photography Club must move forward. This month we will have a membership meeting where members will vote to elect six candidates running for two-year terms to lead the club into the future. The other six board members have one more year to serve. The membership meeting will take place at 2:00 pm prior to the Speaker Series presentation on April 20th. Look for a notice of the annual meeting by way of an email blast in the next couple of weeks. The slate recommended by the Nominating Committee appears in this newsletter.

The Club's design improvements are also moving forward. The walls are newly painted and the new carpet has been installed. A Capital Funding Request in the amount of $36,000 for the final construction has been submitted to GVR. This request includes work for HVAC, electrical upgrades and the building of the classroom wall. This is the final step in the Design Review Plan. We should know sometime in April if the request is approved. If approved, work will begin in conjunction with the Glass Arts project. We are almost there

Danny Valenzuela, President

Two April Events You May Not Want To Miss

Sky Island FotoFauna gathering in Green Valley

FotoFauna is a community science program where participants set up a wildlife camera and submit an online monthly checklist of species observed. You may remember Emily Burns, Sky Island Alliance Program Director, discussing FotoFauna at our April 2022 Speaker Series event. The gathering is meeting at the La Posada Community Services Building, 780 South Park Center Avenue on April 10 from 1 to 3 pm. Find more information here.

31st Annual Arizona International Film Festival

The 31st Arizona International Film Festival, the oldest film celebration in Arizona, will run April 19 to April 30, 2023 at The Screening Room (downtown), the Mercado Annex (westside), the Loft Cinema, UA Main Gate, the Historic Hotel Congress, and other venues throughout Tucson. Find more details here.

Tom Parker, Photo Op Coordinator

Member Photo Exhibits Update

Exhibit Coordinator Vacancy

Sue Ready is assuming duties as the Club's Facebook Coordinator and will no longer be Exhibit Coordinator and one of the contact people for Photo Exhibits. Julie Howard is stepping in and will be the temporary contact person for photo exhibits. She will also help the new coordinator with photo exhibits as she did with Sue. Please contact Danny Valenzuela if you are interested in becoming our new Exhibit Coordinator.

In her new position, Sue needs your support for her to display the Club's photographic talents on Facebook. Members are encouraged to frequently submit the best of your work to Sue, including the title and location of the image. Check out the new changes she has made to the Club's Facebook Page here.

Ongoing Exhibits

Exhibited work at Las Campanas was taken down March 31 and returned to clubhouse. All pieces are stored in plastic bins. Members can pick up their work there. Please leave behind the bubble wrap sleeves. Thank you.

Exhibited work at the West Center and Canoa Hills will remain on the walls through summer and into fall. If you want your work back before then please contact Julie Howard.

Wild Apricot

Not So Wild Any More

Have you ever heard one of the Club's officers, a SIG leader or another Club member say something like, "It's on Wild Apricot", or "I'll put it up on Wild Apricot" or some other mention of Wild Apricot? And you thought, "What the heck is Wild Apricot"?

Quite simply, Wild Apricot is the Club's website. It's actually the name of the web-based software that we use for our website and management of all our events and membership. We also use it to generate and send out email blasts and to create this very newsletter. The website address is https://greenvalleycameraclub.wildapricot.org/. But wait, we're not the Camera Club any more, we're the Photography Club. We can't use that address. It needs to be changed.

Well, Sam Schaen, our new Systems Administrator, has generated a new website address that uses our new name, https://GVRPhotographyClub.org/, and it's so much easier to remember without wildapricot in the middle. But fear not, the old website address still works, so no one needs to update any existing references they may have to the website. Thanks, Sam. -ed

Photo of the Month

The April Photo of the Month is by Beth Stonebrook, taken at Canoa Ranch with a Nikon D850 at f 5.6, 1/2500 sec, 220 mm, ISO 500 and photo compensation +.07. Beth then post processed using Photoshop Elements and Dynamic Auto Painter with Acrylic Happy preset, creating a spectacularly beautiful photo painting. Congratulations, Beth.

The Photo of the Month is chosen from new and archived photos submitted to Sue Ready, the Club's Facebook Coordinator. Keep sending the best of your work to Sue at suready@yahoo.com so we may continue to showcase the refined capabilities of GVR Photography Club members. Photos should be submitted in .jpg format and please include its title and location. -ed

The Library Is Back

The books are back on the library shelves! I donated about one-third of the library, which were outdated and duplicate books, to a Photography Club member, White Elephant, and a couple to the Southern Arizona Genealogy Society.

Three new books are displayed on the top of the bookcase:

• Art with an iPhone by Beth Alesse
• iPhone Photography by Scott Kelby
• The Hidden Power of Adobe Photoshop by Scott Valentine

More new books will be added in April.

Book donations are very much appreciated, but if they are about outdated software programs, equipment or techniques, or are in poor condition, please donate them elsewhere. Magazines should be no older than 2 years. Thanks.

Starting in May there will be a new and improved method of checking out books. All you will have to do is write in the Check-Out Book the book number (which will be on the spine), your name, date borrowed, and a check mark when the book is returned.

If you are a Snowbird and leaving soon, please check to see if you have any books to return to the Photography Club Library before you leave. Have a great summer, wherever you may be returning to.

Becky McCreary, Librarian

As we look forward to the end of our Green Valley winter and the warm summer months ahead, you don't have to put your photography learning experiences on hold. Remember that non-club educational opportunities are available online. Take a look at Udemy, Domestika, or Creative Live for inexpensive or even free educational opportunities.

Stay active and eager to learn.

Gene Komaromi, Education Chair

Board of Directors Election

The GVR Photography Club Board of Directors election will be held at our Annual Membership Meeting on April 20th at 2:00 pm Arizona time in conjunction with the April Speaker Series event. All members are encouraged to attend in person at the Anza Room in the Santa Rita Springs Recreation Center or virtually via Zoom. If you plan to participate via Zoom, be sure to register here to receive an email with the Zoom link to attend.

The nominating committee has selected a slate of six candidates to fill six vacant board positions for two-year terms. Additional nominations may also be presented for consideration. The selected slate of candidates is listed below.

Linda Gregory

I am a 27-year resident of Green Valley, but graduated from high school and college in Arizona, so I am back home. I've been a member of the Photography Club since 2006 when it was still in the basement of the East Center. I started as a monitor and continue to do so, and also facilitate the Photoshop Elements SIG (Special Interest Group). In addition, I have developed and led several different field trips over the last several years. I have been a board member on and off several times and look forward to what the future holds for the Photography Club as new technology changes photography.

Kevin Hannah

I am originally from Victoria, BC Canada and have lived in the US for over 20 years. I was a Certified General Accountant (CGA) in Canada for over 30 years and now a licensed CPA in Washington State since 2001. I have a MBA degree from Hariot-Watt University (business school of University of Edinburgh, Scotland). I have worked in small businesses, provincial government, and in the States in non-profits. I have had my own accounting and tax practices both in Canada and the United States. In Poulsbo, WA I also was a Realtor for nine years. Since 2016 we are full timers in Green Valley. I have worked with John Pilger, our treasurer since 2018 to help and to be his back-up with the accounting for the Club which I enjoyed.

Keith Hively

My interest in photography started when I was very young. I remember my grandmothers taking lots of family photos. My first camera was a Kodak Instamatic. When I was 14 years old, I entered a contest at the 4-H fair, winning a blue ribbon for my photo display. In high school I was the yearbook photographer. I was responsible for taking pictures of sporting events and candid shots of the students. I bought my first 35mm camera, learned how to develop black and white film, and set up my own dark room.

I received a degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Indiana Institute of Technology. After graduation, I joined the Navy and became an Aircraft Maintenance Officer. I spent two West Pacific Cruises on the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea. I always had my camera ready to document my travels.

I returned to civilian life in 1982 and worked for General Dynamics in San Diego, CA. While in San Diego, I married and had two sons. In 1992, GD transferred me to Hughes in Tucson. Hughes was eventually purchased by Raytheon. I retired from Raytheon in 2017. I also remained in the Navy Reserves, retiring with a rank of Captain after 27 years.

I remarried in 2002 to my wife Sandra Raleigh. She and I lived near Albuquerque for 6 years, returning to Arizona in 2019. We enjoy sailing, travel and RVing. We have been very happy with our decision to make Green Valley our home.

Gene Komaromi

Gene retired from the Detroit Public Schools where he served as a Middle School Teacher and Instructional Technology Specialist. Gene owned a small Photography Studio for several years.

An early retirement brought Gene to Green Valley each winter. Gene has been involved with the Camera Club of Green Valley for 20 years, watching the Club grow from 75 members to 700. The Club had chemical darkrooms when Gene joined allowing him to be part of the transfer to the digital age. Gene has served on the Board of Directors several times and has always been a "Cheerleader" for the Club.

Debra Sanders

I joined the GVR Photography Club in early 2022, shortly after my second retirement from FEMA as a Disaster Specialist. I wanted to photograph pretty things like birds and sunsets instead of destroyed buildings and weather-ravaged coastlines. As a novice in the world of photography, it took six months to visit the club’s facilities. I was certain this group of seasoned pros would laugh at someone like me who didn’t know the difference between aperture and shutter speed. I was wrong.

The Photography Club is a warm, inviting place to learn from others. It offers much more than impressive photo processing equipment and software. Our Special Interest Groups, Field Trips, and specialized classes have honed my camera work and increased my confidence. I’m enjoying the process of meeting club members through volunteer opportunities such as Monitor, Mat Room Instructor, and Speaker Series Coordinator.

In addition to my activities at the GVR Photography Club, I also enjoy solo tent camping and hiking, am a published author of eleven novels and continue to produce creative projects, write a column for a quarterly newsletter, act as Secretary for the GVR Decorative Art Painting Club, serve as Co-Coordinator and Meeting Facilitator for the Published Author’s Mystery and More Marketing Group – a program introduced by the Grand Canyon Chapter of our international parent organization Sisters in Crime. When time allows, I never turn down a happy hour on the patio with my husband and two rescue dogs.

Danny Valenzuela

I am a native Arizonan. I was born and raised in Miami, Arizona, and Arizona has always been my home. I served two years in the U. S. Army and graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in Business Management and completed the Karl Eller Arizona Executive Program at the University of Arizona. I have served in many leadership positions in State, County, and local government as well as served on numerous local, State and national boards and commissions.

I am a member of the Hiking Club, and I am currently serving as President of the Photography Club. I have learned from so many members of the club who have helped me better my photography skills. I have enjoyed my terms on the Board, and I look forward to serving one more term so I can help complete the club’s design review project and help the new leadership team continue the success of the Club.

This Month's Club Activities

Jump to SIGs

Jump to Travelogue

Jump to Field Trips

Jump to Photo Ops

Jump to Showtime

Jump to Speaker Series

Check the Club Calendar for the latest information on all club activities. Photography Club members are also welcome and encouraged to attend the Club’s monthly Board of Directors meetings. Check the Club Calendar for the date of the meeting and attend in-person at the Club, or remotely by registering using this link. The Board is always interested in comments and new ideas from the members.

Travelogue

Tuesday, 4/11 at 7:00 pm

April brings us to the end of our Travelogue season with six presentations that I know you'll enjoy. We'll be visiting Iceland, Coastal Europe from Paris to Venice, Utah, Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico, the Galapagos Islands and the Cheat River in West Virginia. Join us in the Anza Room on the 11th to experience this last Travelogue at its best.

The Fire and Ice of Iceland

Holly Chorba

Utah

Arlene Meteyer

Galapagos Islands and Its Sea Life

Sherrie Lee Lucia

From Paris to Venice

Sam Schaen and Marilyn Gaizband

Bandelier National Monument

Kirk Hively

Cheat River Canoe Trip

Todd Taylor

Thanks to all our presenters for a great collection of Travelogues this season. I encourage all our members who haven't tried to make a Travelogue to take advantage of your travels this summer and photograph your adventures. Creating a Travelogue video is fun and rewarding, not only to share with others, but to preserve your travel memories. Check out the Multimedia SIG's Software Resources on the Club's website for guidance on how to make a video. If you have questions please contact me at 970-596-1505 or email me here.

Paul McCreary, Travelogue Coordinator

Showtime

Closed for the Season

SHOWTIME is now on ‘snooze’ until December. It was a great SHOWTIME season. Thanks for your attendance and special thanks to those contributing programs for the events. Between now and December gives you plenty of time to gather some of your photos and videos, add some music, and turn it into a short program for others to enjoy.

Use Windows Photos or iMovie to assemble the photos and add music of your choice. Need help?? Try coming to the Multimedia Special Interest Group that meets regularly on Monday mornings. We'd love to meet you and show you how it's done.

Chuck Hill, Showtime Coordinator

Speaker Series

Thursday, 4/20 at 2:00 pm

John Grahame

How To Make A Legacy Video

Our 2022-2023 Speaker Series season concludes with the April speaker, recent new member of the Photography Club, John Grahame. Coming from a career in TV broadcasting, he’ll be presenting How to Make A Legacy Video.

Everyone is Green Valley has a story to tell, and thanks to recent improvements in cell phone video, anyone can easily record and share these stories for posterity. John will offer some simple techniques for working comfortably with your friend or family member by shooting and editing a video that looks and sounds professional, and then sharing it with an appreciative audience.

Join us in the Anza room at 2:00 pm Arizona time for our short membership meeting and Board of Directors vote, followed by John's live presentation. But if you can’t make it, register here to get the Zoom link to attend remotely.

This last presentation of the season also ends my tenure as Speaker Series Coordinator for the Photography Club. Many thanks for the numerous Speaker Series contributions and past support from our members! Whether you helped find a speaker, were a speaker, organized venues, brought snacks, wrote or distributed PR, set up, ran the ZOOM link, ran the in-house equipment, added announcements, communicated with the membership or were an appreciative audience member, you added an essential ingredient! Again, thank you all!

Speaker Series will resume in the fall, coordinated by Deb Sanders. Please join me then in welcoming Deb as the new Speaker Series Coordinator.

Happy Trails,

Holly Chorba, Speaker Series Coordinator

Field Trips

Wow! If you didn’t attend one of the trips in March, you missed some great photo opportunities! Just to name a few, there was Mescal without the Christmas decorations; Paton Center for Hummingbirds loaded with migrating birds; a ride on a 7½" gauge train, and pressing all the buttons (you’ll have to come next time so you’ll know what I mean) at the Gadsden-Pacific Division Toy Train Operating Museum; the trip to Gammon’s Gulch; the Forever Home Donkey Rescue & Sanctuary where the donkeys just loved seeing everyone and following you around like puppies; and watching the jaws drop on the members faces when first entering the Rodeo Parade Museum and seeing all it had to offer!

Our new Milky Way Astrophotography trip was a huge success even with going out at o’dark thirty in the cold.  Cliff has graciously offered to do more Astrophotography trips, so please be sure to sign up on the wait list. That will enable us to plan future trips of this nature. FYI, the schedule of the trips will depend on the best Milky Way viewing times, so not all trips will be at 4:00 am! Cliff is also checking into doing different types of Astrophotography trips, so keep your eye out for future announcements.

The Hawk Watch was a very windy day, so we walked the Anza Trail and saw quite a few birds that way! Our trip to Equine Voices Horse Sanctuary and Rescue was fantastic with kisses from many of the horses. March closed out with a tour to the DeGrazia Gallery and Studio, always an enlightening trip followed by some of the best Italian food in Tucson.

I am very sorry to say that Wally Watson led his last Windows & Doors trip. He has been a pivotal member of not only the Club, but especially the Field Trip Committee. Wally, you will be SO missed and we look forward to you enjoying our trips as a participant.

Planned trips in April so far include Tohono Chul on the 10th and Pena Blanca Lake on the 11th. Also, just a reminder that the Field Trip Committee meeting will be on April 5th at 10:00 at the Club. Check out the details and register for the field trips, as well as the committee meeting, on the Club's website here.

FYI, we plan to continue our field trips throughout the summer months for our year-round members. If you would like to lead a trip, be sure to contact me. Keep those great ideas coming for next season.

Patty, Sue, Lynn, and I thank you for your support! 

 Monica E. Parker, Field Trip Facilitator

Photo Opportunities

Pima Air and Space Museum

• Ongoing through May, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm – Ticket prices vary
• 6000 E. Valencia Road, Tucson, AZ
• Find more information here.

Gadsden-Pacific Division Toy Train Operating Museum

• Ongoing Sundays through May, 1:00 to 4:00 pm – $5
• 3975 N. Miller Avenue, Tucson, AZ
• Find more information here here.

The Linda McCartney Retrospective

• Ongoing through Aug 5, 10:00 am to 4:30 pm – Free
• Center for Creative Photography, 1030 North Olive Road. Tucson, AZ
• Find more information here.

Tucson Botanical Gardens

• Ongoing 8:30 am to 4:30 pm – Ticket prices vary
• 2150 North Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ
• Find more information here.

A Western Experience at Old Tucson

• Ongoing Thursday through Sunday, 10:30 am to 5:00 pm – Ticket prices vary
• Old Tucson, 201 Kinney Road, Tucson, AZ
• Find more information here.

35th Annual Chevy Showdown Car Show

• Apr 1, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm – Free
• Sahuarita Desert Diamond Casino, 1100 W Pima Mine Road, Sahuarita, AZ
• Find more information here.

Tour of Historic Canoa Ranch

• Apr 1,8,15,22 & 29, 9:30 am 11:00 am, 10:30 am to noon - $5, registration required
• 5375 South I-19 Frontage Road, Green Valley, AZ
• Find more information here.

Birding Canoa Ranch

• Apr 4 and 18, 6:30 am to 8:30 am - $5, registration required
• 5375 South I-19 Frontage Road. Green Valley, AZ
• Find more information here.

First Thursdays at the Tucson Museum of Art

• Apr 6, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm – Pay what you wish, reservation required
• Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block, 140 North Main Avenue, Tucson, AZ
• Find more information here.

Tombstone's Annual Rose Festival

Tumacácori Bird Walk

• Apr 8 and 22, 8:00 am to 11:00 am – Free with entrance fee
• Tumacácori National Historical Park, Tubac, AZ
• Find more information here.

Vigilante Sunday

• Apr 9 and 23, 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm – Free
• Allen Street, Tombstone, AZ
• Find more information here.

Willcox West Fest Chuck Wagon Cook Off & Ranch Rodeo

• Apr 14-16, Fri. Noon to Sunset, Sat. 8:00 am to 7:00 pm, Sun 8:00 am to Noon
• Quail Park, 1138 North Quail Drive, Willcox, AZ
• Find more information here.

Spring Garden Tour

• Apr 15, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm – $15
• Desert Meadows Park, 999 South La Huerta, Green Valley, AZ
• Find more information here.

Fiesta Sahuarita

• Apr 15, 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm – Free
• Anamax Park, 17501 S Camino De Las Quintas, Sahuarita, AZ
• Find more information here.

Pima County Fair

• Apr 20-30, Gates open 3:00 pm weekdays, 11:00 am weekends - Ticket prices vary
• 1300 South Houghton Road, Tucson, AZ
• Find more information here.

45th Annual Blessing of the Vines 2023

• Apr 22, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (Blessing is at noon) – $30
• Sonoita Vineyards, 290 Elgin-Canelo Rd. Elgin, AZ
• Find more information here.

Annual Rodders Day Car Show

• Apr 22, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm - Free
• Pima Community College Downtown Campus, 1255 North Stone Ave, Tucson, AZ
• Find more information here.

We are always looking for recommendations for future photo opportunities. Please feel free to contact me If you have suggestions for upcoming events of interest.

Tom Parker, Photo Op Coordinator

Special Interest Groups are fun and educational. Any member of the Photography Club is welcome to attend any of the SIGs.

Click on any of the links listed to get more information on each one.

Multimedia SIG
Black and White SIG

Studio and Fine Art SIG

Photoshop/Lightroom SIG

Field Trip SIG

Photoshop Elements SIG

Wildlife Photography SIG

Monitor Notes

Monitors typically welcome and check in club members, answer the phone, and inform those seeking information about the Club. We are all indebted to the dedicated team of monitors who volunteer to keep the Photography Club open. Many thanks to all of you.

We are always looking for additional monitors. Help us provide all the benefits the Club offers to its members. As you take advantage of the Club's activities and its extensive digital processing equipment, consider sharing the effort in providing these services by volunteering as a monitor.  You are not expected to know how to use the equipment. Training takes about three hours.

Contact: gvrcameramonitors@gmail.com for more information.

Photography Items

Wanted

or

For Sale

Items for Sale

Think Tank Digital Holster-40 V2.0 Camera Bag

Like new. Fits std. DSLR or mirrorless cameras.

Price: $20. (Orig. New $93.75)

Contact Ron Stein at steinsplace3@cox.net

Think Tank Digital Holster-50 V2.0 Camera Bag

Like new. Fits std. DSLR cameras and extends to hold long lens(150-600).

Price: $25. (Orig. New $98.75)

Contact Ron Stein at steinsplace3@cox.net

Lowepro Sling Back Pack

Like new. Will hold camera and several lenses.

Price: $30. (Orig. New $100.00)

Contact Ron Stein at steinsplace3@cox.net

Do you have any used photography equipment that you want to sell or are looking for to buy? List those items in the newsletter.

All items:

• May be placed only by current, past or families of past members.
  
• Must be for used photography related equipment.
  
• Must include your name, or the name of the past member, and contact information.
• Should be submitted to neilwicai@gmail.com.
• Must be placed by the 25th of the month prior to the month of listing.
• Will run for one month, but may be resubmitted up to three times to be listed again.

Green Valley Recreation Photography Club

The GVR Photography Club is one of the largest photography clubs in the U.S. with over 600 active members. Regardless of your skill level, you'll have fun honing your skills in taking, editing, and presenting photos and videos. Share your photographic passion with others. Take FREE courses and join our Special Interest Groups to get the most from your digital camera, smartphone, action camera, or drone. Learn the ins and outs of post-processing software. Use our state-of-the-art equipment to digitize and edit photos, slides, and videos. Go on Club Field Trips to practice your photographic skills. Exhibit your photos/videos at our Showtime and Travelogue events. Come make friends and photographs!

The Club is located on the 2nd floor of the west wing at the Santa Rita Springs GVR Recreation Center. You may contact us at:

PO Box 1423, Green Valley, AZ 85622 or  gvrcameraclub@gmail.com. 

Neil Wicai, Newsletter Editor - neilwicai@gmail.com - 575-224-1238